Name: Train Architect Designs the Perfect Commuter Train | WSJ Pro Perfected
Uploaded: 2025-02-19T07:48:48.000Z
Duration: 7 min 7 s
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Nobody likes a packed commuter train, but does it have to be this way?

See, to train designers, like this one, the carriage is a blank slate, anything could go here.

And trains around the world have featured everything from spacious viewing carriages to high-end dining cars and even luxurious beds.

Throwing in too many things like this can cripple passenger flow, decreasing the number of paying riders you can get on and off, causing delays and potentially damaging your ticket sales.

And ripping out all of the comforts and maximising space can be just as bad.

So what can be done to perfect the commuter train?

There's a single number that can have an influence on every inch of a train's design.

It's called the PPHPD – passengers per hour, per direction.

It's essentially a measure of how many paying passengers will be on the train at a given moment in time.

And getting the design right to hit that target is crucial.

The frequency of a commuter train isn't just limited by how many trains are on the line.

It's also affected by how quickly passengers get on and off.

The tiniest of adjustments to the train can impact passenger flow, and that can make or break the economics of a train service.

Especially as most modern trains are designed to be in service for 30 years.

That's why companies like Alstom, who design and build trains and subway cars that operate around the world, spend years designing their vehicles.

As an operator, you will want to maximise your revenues, so you will maximise the capacity of your trains.

The first thing shaping the design of the train is the physical space it has to operate in.

The length and height of the platforms and, on underground networks, the shape of the tunnels.

On London's 160-year-old underground network, for example, the roof of some trains have to curve so that they can fit into decades-old tunnels.

Which means that if you're over six foot, you're going to struggle to stand here.

If height isn't a constraint, you may think that double-decker trains would help increase passenger flow.

It actually slows it down, as passengers have to navigate stairs just to get to the doors.

And speaking of doors, while you may think that their location is set in stone, it's actually a decision that designers have to consider.

If you place, for example, three doors per car, you will have less passenger flow than if you put four doors per car, but it will also be sometimes a bit more difficult to place all the people seated.

The operators of this train, London's Elizabeth Line, insisted that the carriage be redesigned to have three equally spaced doors to smooth out passenger flow.

And the width of those doors is getting wider.

It's normally around four feet to allow two passengers to pass each other.

But on trains like New York MTA's new R211T, the doors have been widened by eight inches.

We are noticing three people that cross each other at the same time, but it has also some impacts in the interior layout because we will not be able to put any seats in the entrance.

But getting the doors right is pointless if passengers then block them the second they get on the train, which people tend to do if they're not traveling very far.

If you know that you will just remain two or three stops, you will stay closer to the vestibule.

One solution is to keep the space by the doors as open as possible.

But the position of this bar can also have a huge impact.

If you keep them in the middle of the vestibule, people will stay stuck in the middle of the platform because they will try to grab the bar, which is a human reaction, and they will create like a traffic jam.

By just moving the bar by 20 centimeters, you will orient the people on the right or on the left.

Once passengers are on board, there's a smart way to distribute them throughout the train and avoid them crowding in one car, by using open gangways and load monitoring.

You can cross the full train, which is very good.

You have this safe feeling because you are never alone in the train.

And load monitoring can show which parts of the train might be quieter.

You are just measuring, you know, the weight of the total coach and you know if it is empty or not empty.

Or you have also artificial intelligence that can detect through video analytic system the level of loading of a car.

That information can be even more useful to passengers if it's provided before they even board the train, which is exactly what Hong Kong's MTR does on its Tuen Ma line.

You can also subtly nudge passengers into place by using lighting, like brightening a carriage before it pulls into a station so passengers get ready to disembark, or by using color.

By using this green or red light, we can also indicate the direction that they need to use.

Designers then have to decide how much room to allocate for standing passengers versus seated ones.

And the amount of space each standing passenger is allocated is a figure that varies depending on where the train is operating.

Usually the number of people per square meter is between three to six, depending on the cultures of the countries and so on.

If you've ever felt slightly cramped on a commuter train, it could be because it was designed that way to maximize the number of paying passengers.

If you go for longitudinal seats or transversal seats, it will change everything.

That's because adding seats in clusters that face each other can draw passengers further into the car, away from the doors, but all at the cost of space in a train that's usually under nine feet wide.

However, placing seats along the edge of the train, like this, can speed up passenger flow and give more room to standing passengers, but all at the cost of comfort.

And that space can go even quicker if you don't accommodate for passengers who bring on luggage, strollers, pets, and even bikes.

Bikes is today one of the concerns of all our customers.

The best way probably is really to dedicate one space for bike users and not to try to mix them too much in the same coach.

But the best solution is to provide a bit of everything and build modular seating in zones throughout the train, including flip-up seats that can flip out of the way when it's busy.

As we are searching for more capacity, we need to mix this kind of arrangement.

Separately, these measures might not seem like much, but added together, they can dramatically change the efficiency and comfort of a commuter train.

But what about those futuristic or luxurious design features, like this or this?

Well, Alexei says he offers comfortable and spacious features in design proposals, but they often get rejected by the operator in favour of fitting in more paying passengers.

That's because for operators, it's a balancing act.

Comfort comes at a cost, and subways and metros are supposed to be transport for the masses.

It's often critical that they're affordable for all.

But Alexei's designs are making their way onto some trains, ones run by private operators.

They will want to be differentiated compared to the other competitors.

Take the privately run Heathrow Express train in London.

A ticket will cost you twice as much as the same journey on the London Underground.

But as well as a shorter journey time, you also get charging sockets, onboard entertainment, luggage racks, flight info, and even cup holders.

But even if clever design tricks make commuter trains more spacious or comfortable for now, it's not set to stay that way.

According to the UN, by 2050, almost 70% of the world's population will be living in city centres.

So all that extra space might not last for long.